Riverdale, MD - Recognizing that the financial crisis in minority communities can’t be solved alone, HomeFree-USA brought together lenders, servicers, government officials and nonprofit community leaders in a landmark symposium to create novel solutions to build partnerships and uplift the stature and value that nonprofit leaders bring to our country's housing and wealth issues.

The event, a one-day Strategic Leadership Forum in Baltimore on November 3, gathered together some of the best minds in the mortgage industry to come up with new ways that nonprofits can collaborate with lenders, realtors, government agencies and servicers to create new opportunities for the industry and homebuyers alike.

“The only way we’re going to be able to increase homeownership and the financial wherewithal of the people in this country is by working together,” said Marcia Griffin, founder and president of HomeFree-USA.

The premier sponsor for the event was Ocwen Financial Services, the fourth largest mortgage servicer in the U.S., and a leader in foreclosure prevention. In taking part in the forum, Ocwen recognized the importance of partnering with non-profit housing advisors and community leaders. “Without housing counselors and community advocates to help us with borrower outreach, we could not maintain our leading position in foreclosure prevention,” said Paul Koches, senior advisor at Ocwen and a featured speaker at the Baltimore Forum.

Wells Fargo and Chase Bank also served as co-sponsors of the forum. “As a leading bank in the United States, we work very closely with and value our relationships with nonprofit organizations,” said Connie Wright, assistant director with the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. “We are happy to have supported the Strategic Leadership Forum.”

Participants in the forum brought ideas, exchanged information and learned how they could capitalize on each other’s strengths. The forum also focused on strategic ways to enhance and bolster nonprofit leaders and the partners that they work with.

The Baltimore event is the second in a series of Strategic Leadership Forums that will take place quarterly around the country. The first Strategic Leadership Forum was in Chicago. Future Strategic Leadership Forums will take place in such places as Miami and Portland, Oregon.

By working together, HomeFree-USA, Ocwen, Wells Fargo and Chase Bank have created a new formula for partnership, recognizing that relationships between nonprofits and other segments of the mortgage industry lead to growth for all parties involved. “When we grow, the people we serve grow as well,” Griffin said.

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